Rodengo Castle

Rodengo Castle (Schloss Rodenegg) stands majestically in Villa di Rodengo on a narrow, rocky outcrop high above the Rienza Gorge. Once one of the largest and most formidable fortresses of its time, the castle impresses with its dramatic location and the sheer number of rooms and cellars. It was built around 1140 AD by Friedrich I von Rodank. The Lords of Rodank, an important ministerial family, owned the castle until the family line died out around 1300.

The sovereign then administered it for almost 200 years before it passed to the Counts of Wolkenstein-Rodenegg in 1491. In the 16th century, the descendants of the minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein extended the castle, transforming it into a splendid stately residence. It remains in the possession of the same family today. Part of the castle is a private residence surrounded by beautiful gardens, while another section is open to the public as a museum.

The exhibition rooms are mostly furnished with late-Renaissance pieces. Particularly noteworthy are the Iwein Frescoes in the former tavern, discovered and painstakingly uncovered only in 1972. This cycle of frescoes, depicting the epic poem "Iwein" by Hartmann von Aue, is considered the oldest secular mural painting in the German-speaking world, dating back to between 1200 and 1220. A darker chapter in Rodengo's history is the "Lauterfresserloch" - a narrow dungeon.

In the 17th century, Matthias Perger, known as "The Lauterfresser" due to his fondness for soup ("Lauteres" in the local dialect), was imprisoned there as a sorcerer until his execution. How to get to Rodengo Castle: It's located near the main road through the Val Pusteria. A short footpath leading to the imposing complex begins in the car park just before the church in Rodengo.